Framing the Sanctuary: A Study of Paintings on Sinan’s Domed Arcade in the Grand Mosque of Mecca

ABSTRACT

This paper presents a study and analysis of no-longer extant paintings found originally inside the sixteenth century domed arcade which framed the Holy sanctuary in Mecca. It interlinks information obtained through technical analysis of samples taken from these paintings, with information about the history of the arcade. Beyond providing a brief history of this understudied domed arcade, the research yields information about the production of their paintings and the range of materials used and is intended to shed light on the oldest section of the Holy Mosque in Mecca. Information surrounding the dismantling, conservation, and partial reintegration of this arcade back into the expanded courtyard in Mecca’s holy sanctuary is also provided.

RÉSUMÉ

Cet article présente une étude ainsi que l'analyse des peintures maintenant disparues, mais s'étant trouvées à l'origine à l'intérieur de l'arcade en dôme datant du 16^e siècle et qui encadrait le sanctuaire sacré de La Mecque. Ce document met en parallèle l'information obtenue grâce à des analyses techniques d'échantillons provenant de ces peintures avec de l'information sur l'histoire de l'arcade. En plus de fournir une brève histoire de cette arcade en dôme peu étudiée, cette recherche rapporte de l'information sur la production de ses peintures et sur l'éventail de matériaux utilisés et est destinée à faire la lumière sur la plus ancienne section de la Grande Mosquée de La Mecque. De l'information est également fournie sur le démantèlement, la restauration-conservation et la réintégration partielle de cette arcade à une cour intérieure agrandie du sanctuaire sacré de La Mecque. Traduit par Marie-Hélène Nadeau.

RESUMO

Este artigo apresenta um estudo e análise das pinturas não mais existentes, encontradas originalmente dentro da arcada e abóbada do século XVI que emoldurava o Santuário Sagrado em Meca. E conecta informações obtidas por meio de análises técnicas de amostras retiradas dessas pinturas, com informações sobre a história da arcada. Além de fornecer uma breve história desta arcada e abóbada pouco estudada, a pesquisa produz informações sobre a produção de suas pinturas e a variedade de materiais usados e tem como objetivo chamar a atenção para a seção mais antiga da Mesquita Sagrada em Meca. O artigo também traz informações sobre o desmantelamento, a conservação e a reintegração parcial desta arcada estendida ao pátio ampliado do santuário sagrado de Meca. Traduzido por by Beatriz Haspo.

RESUMEN

Este artículo presenta un estudio y análisis de pinturas que ya no existen y que se encontraron originalmente dentro de la arcada abovedada del siglo XVI que enmarcaba el Santuario Sagrado en La Meca. Interrelaciona la información obtenida por medio del análisis técnico de muestras tomadas de estas pinturas, con información sobre la historia de la arcada. Más allá de proporcionar una breve historia de esta arcada abovedada poco estudiada, la investigación arroja información sobre la producción de sus pinturas y la gama de materiales utilizados y tiene la intención de arrojar luz sobre la sección más antigua de la Mezquita Sagrada en La Meca. También se proporciona información sobre el desmantelamiento, la conservación y la reintegración parcial de esta galería en el patio ampliado del santuario sagrado de La Meca. Traducción: Amparo Rueda.

KEYWORDS:

• Mosque
• Mecca
• Sinan
• dome
• paintings
• Ottomans
• Islamic
• pigments

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Dr. Myrto Georgakopoulou and her colleagues at UCL Qatar for allowing access to her laboratory and for her help in performing the SEM-EDX analysis in 2016. Dr. Brian Singer is also thanked for his help in FTIR spectral interpretation. Our deep appreciation and gratitude goes to our esteemed colleague Samie Iqbal Kayani who first opened our eyes to the history of these now vanished paintings. It is to him that this research is dedicated.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Mehmet Aga also built the Blue Mosque in Istanbul and the Mosque of Murad III in Manisa (Turkey). Mehmet Aga became the chief imperial architect in October 1606 and was one of the few Ottoman artists to be honored by a full-scale biography during his lifetime.

2 Erzerni was a blind scholar and Sufi who stayed in Mecca around 1370. Known as “the blind man of Erzerum,” Erzerni had a substantial following in the Mecca and his biography of the Prophet was widely known and read in the Islamic world. It took Lutfi almost twenty years, and a large team of artists, to complete the work: 814 miniatures in six volumes, one of the first and complete visual portraits of the life of the Prophet Muhammad.

3 As a result of the reinstallation of Sinan’s arcade further away from the Ka’ba, up to 30,000 worshippers can now perform tawaf (circumambulation) per hour, which is an increase of over 20,000 people per hour than was possible before the 2013 renovation. In total, the tawaf area can now accommodate 105,000 worshippers every hour.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Idries Trevathan

Idries Trevathan holds a PhD in Islamic art from the Prince’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts, London. Trevathan has worked in different capacities as an educator, curator, and conservator specializing in Islamic art at various cultural institutions across the Muslim world, including in Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. Email: [email protected]

Tracey D. Chaplin

Dr Tracey Chaplin is an independent conservation scientist and also teaches chemistry and paint analysis for the BA and MA Conservation courses at the City & Guilds of London Art School. Having obtained a PhD in Geology from UCL in 1998, Chaplin has been providing analytical services for the decorative arts for the past 15 years. Address: City and Guilds of London Art School, 124 Kennington Park Road, London, SE11 4DJ, UK. Email: [email protected]